Header Main Menu

Main menu

Footer Utility

Rohrabacher Commends Administration for Russian Bombings Response

Jan 7, 2014

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, Thursday commended the Obama administration for its swift pledge to cooperate with Russian counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of two terrorist attacks that killed more than 30 people in Volgograd earlier this week.

“Whenever unarmed citizens are victims of terrorist attacks,” said the California Republican, “we should stand in solidarity with their countries – especially with Russia. Unfortunately, our own recent relations with Moscow have called into question what should be Washington’s automatic response.”

On Sunday a bomb struck a trolley in Volgograd, killing at least 14, and on Monday another bomb exploded in the city’s main train station, killing at least 17. Volgograd serves as a main transit point to Sochi, where the Winter Olympics will be held next month.

“Our security cooperation,” said Rohrabacher, “should be at a much higher level and much more extensive. Whether it is 9/11 or the murders of Russian schoolchildren or attacks in Egypt, radical Islamic terrorists should know that the good people are standing together and will not cower when confronted with monstrous crimes against unarmed and innocent civilians.”

Last year the congressmen traveled to the Russian city of Beslan, scene of a 2004 terrorist attack that killed hundreds of schoolchildren, where he met with officials to investigate the breakdown of U.S.-Russian cooperation. That breakdown, said Rohrabacher, may have impaired America’s ability to stop the bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon, which killed three onlookers and injured 264 others.

“We need to overcome the Cold War mentality and work together to stop terrorist attacks before they happen,” said the congressman.

Rohrabacher said he intends to hold a congressional hearing to explore how the two nations can cooperate to combat terrorism.